Expo Serves Up GAC Info to Communities

On Saturday, February 5 from 9 AM - 11 AM, more than 50 community representatives attended our Great American Cleanup Expo to talk one-on-one with KCB staff about registration, new projects, communications procedures, and more. Tim Jeckering, of Northside, gave an excellent presentation about recruiting volunteers during the 10 AM volunteer workshop. Following Tim was Give Back Cincinnati that talked about how they manage and retain a huge volunteer base. Many attendees enjoyed the opportunity to learn about new tactics and resources as well as the opportunity to network with other community leaders. The expo took the place of our annual Town Hall meeting. Instead of listening to a PowerPoint presentation, our guests were able to stop by eight different booths for information. Sponsor raffles were given away periodically, and one lucky attendee won a $50 gift card to Lowe's for visiting all eight booths. Our booth topics were "The 411", "Get Your GAC On", "Fame & Fortune", "Free Money!", "Environmental Brain Food", "Gardens & Greenspace", and "Tires & Such". If you missed us, contact Liz McEwan at (513) 352-4384 to find out how you can get involved in the 2010 GAC. We're shooting for 10,000 volunteers this year, but we can't do it without you!

You can bring $50,000 to Cincinnati!

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful was recently accepted into the Pepsi Refresh Project with our program, Future Blooms, and WE NEED YOUR VOTES!!!

(Psst... See what it's all about in our 3-minute YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL0WTBwkcyI)

What is Future Blooms? Future Blooms is a community beautification program, specifically aimed at the aesthetic enhancement of vacant, abandoned and foreclosed properties in Cincinnati. Our city has witnessed a growing number of properties fall victim to vacancy and abandonment over the last several decades. Just in Over-The-Rhine alone, one of the 52 neighborhoods in Cincinnati, the population has decreased from 50,000 residents in 1950 to less than 5,000 today. This exodus has left behind thousands of vacant properties. As a result of the deterioration that these properties often endure during the foreclosure process, they become associated with crime and general unsightliness and act as a deterrent to prospective investors. Future Blooms is a high-impact, low-cost program that revitalizes these vacant properties by resurfacing the barricades with painted representations of doors, windows, awnings, and flower boxes (see attached photos).

What is the Pepsi Refresh Project? In March of 2010, instead of spending millions of dollars on advertising during the Super Bowl, Pepsi decided to fund numerous community projects across the country. Pepsi is giving away $1.3 million each month, throughout 2010 and into 2011. Pepsi only accepts 1,000 submissions each month in various categories and grant amounts. Future Blooms has applied for a Neighborhood Grant of $50,000.

Why Future Blooms? Future Blooms has enhanced over 250 buildings since October of 2009 and has recently expanded to include a vacant lot stabilization program. Since October of 2010, we have improved over 30 abandoned inner-city parcels of land by cleaning, planting grass and trees, and establishing regular maintenance. As a result of our efforts, blight in Over-The-Rhine has reduced by 25% making our city more attractive to investors, visitors, and residents. Additionally, the police have reported nearly 20% fewer calls-for-service in Over-The-Rhine over the last two years. This is evidence that Future Blooms is a unique and powerful factor in encouraging economic development in Cincinnati as well as in reducing crime. With this grant, we will be able to complete another 150 buildings and 60 vacant lots.

How can I help? Go online and VOTE... EVERY DAY... with multiple e-mail and facebook accounts. Voting begins Monday, January 3, 2011 and ends Monday, January 31, 2011. Register at www.refresheverything.com by clicking the "Sign In" at the bottom left of the page. After you're signed in, go to www.refresheverything.com/futureblooms and click the "Vote For This Idea" button.  Again, you can register multiple times using different e-mail addresses and via Facebook.  Better yet, text "105193" to "73774" (Pepsi). 

Please take a few minutes each day to log in and vote! With your help, we can win! And don't forget to spread the word to your family, friends and co-workers.

Visit our website (www.keepcincinnatibeautiful.org) to learn more.

Thanks for being a part of our vision!